DETROIT – The Democratic National Committee announced that Have Heart frontman Pat Flynn qualified for the second Democratic debate after an impressive performance at this year’s Sound and Fury Festival.
“I am just as shocked as anybody else. I have to shuffle a few things around to make it work, but I am grateful for the opportunity. It’s exciting to see the support I am getting from hardcore kids, ska kids, and even some metalheads,” said Flynn sporting a limited edition Flynn 2020 t-shirt that will only be available in the lobby of the Fox Theatre. “All the shows have been great, but Sound and Fury really sent this thing over the edge. We raised some money and awareness for great causes. I feel really good right now.”
Videos from Have Heart reunion shows quickly spread via social media. Some saw the passionate performance as an entry into the presidential election.
“You know with the way everything has been going the last several years, I say why not?” said Jeff Miller, who first heard of Flynn after watching the set when it showed up in his YouTube recommended videos list. “His dedication to issues I truly care about really came through those videos. Everyone was talking about it on Twitter and so when it was suggested for me to watch I immediately gravitated to it. He’s got the energy and an uplifting message to really make a go of this thing, you know?”
As the videos spread, the surprise campaign saw Flynn rise in the polls as campaign contributions poured in via a campaign site on the Bridge 9 servers.
“The message was just something I hadn’t seen in any of the other candidates. I had to contribute,” said Flynn supporter Jessica Lopez. “I mean, I stood in line for hours to watch Beto speak and there wasn’t even a single mosh part. This just felt fresh.”
DNC officials were initially reluctant to acknowledge Flynn’s status as a presidential frontrunner for the upcoming debate.
“Difficult to tell if we’ve ever seen anything like this, but Mr. Flynn indeed has, however surprising, met all the requirements for the next Democratic debate,” the official confirmed. “He raised the money, he is polling well above ten percent, and most importantly he is white and he is male.”
Photo by Tyler Ross.